1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to a surgical device for use in a minimally invasive surgical procedure. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an articulating surgical instrument having at least a first and a second segment that are separately movable.
2. Background of Related Art
A minimally invasive surgical procedure is one in which a surgeon enters a patient's body through one or more small opening in the patient's skin or a naturally occurring opening (e.g., mouth, anus, or vagina). As compared with traditional open surgeries, minimally invasive surgical procedures have several advantages and disadvantages. Minimally invasive surgeries include arthroscopic, endoscopic, laparoscopic, and thoracic surgeries. Advantages of minimally invasive surgical procedures over traditional open surgeries include reduced trauma and recovery time for patients.
However, some disadvantages include a lack of direct visualization of the surgical site and reduced dexterity of instruments, as compared to traditional open surgeries. In particular, the simultaneous manipulation of the viewing instrument and surgical instruments that are inserted into the opening may be complicated. One complication arises from the difficulty in visualizing surgical instruments on a monitor that is operably coupled to the viewing instrument.
One surgical technique used to increase the ability of the surgeon to visualize and access critical anatomy is triangulation. Triangulation is a principle in which the surgical instrument and the viewing instrument are held so that their tips form the apex of an imaginary triangle. In particular, the viewing instruments may be in the middle of the surgical field, and the surgical instruments may be angled with respect to the viewing instrument as to form an imaginary triangle.
In minimally invasive surgical procedures through a single incision, straight and rigid surgical instruments are inserted through a single incision. To control the instruments, a surgeon often crosses his hands. The lack of triangulation makes visualization and access of critical anatomy potentially difficult. Furthermore, it is desirable to coordinate the positions of end effectors of the surgical instruments.
Consequently, a continuing need exists for improved minimally invasive surgical devices.